Researchers hope to tag 30,000 female crabs between the Texas/Mexico border to Apalachicola, Florida. As of January 2018, more than 13,000 have been tagged and released inshore and offshore along the five gulf-rim states.

Outdoor Alabama Facebook

They are relying on recreational and commercial fishermen alike to be on the lookout for crabs with the 1" x 2" orange tags affixed to their backs, and they will pay from $5 to $50 for each tag you report. If you happen to catch a tagged crab, you will find all the contact information you need on the tag, including the amount of the reward!

Please record the tag number, the date you caught it, the location where it was caught (GPS if possible, or a descriptive location with the nearest landmark), and whether or not the crab was carrying eggs (also called a sponge). If it is carrying eggs, please record whether the eggs were orange, brown, or black. This information tells us the developmental stage of the eggs.

After you've reported it, you can do one of three things:

Remove the tag and keep the crab.

Release the crab back where you caught it.

Freeze the crab and call the research lab. They will make arrangements to have it picked up or shipped to them.